Big Barrel

My friend Jim wanted me to build him a giant barrel to be used as an eye catching sign for his partner “Chrissy’s” antique store to be opened soon in Schapville Illinois. Lettering will be added to both ends to say the business name and the barrel will then be placed next to the road to be seen from both directions. The barrel is all ruff-sawed cedar with a chunk of Poplar used for the tap. The whole project measures 6-feet in diameter and 6-feet end-to-end excluding the doubled 6”-by-8” saddles that it rests on. The barrel part is coated with 3 coats of spar varnish (no stain) but the saddles and tap are stained dark with 3 coats of spar. After Jim and I finished it we loaded it up on my tandem trailer and took it to a couple of winery’s and then to Galena Illinois to show as potential future projects to some barrel related businesses. Our big barrel became an instant “tourist” attraction with people posing in front of it for pictures and coming out of stores to have a look-see. Pic #1 shows the finished project (excluding letters),#2 the poplar tap (made on my Legacy Ornamental Mill), #3 is myself cutting a bevel on the stave ends, #4 the 2 saddles with-out stain, #5 would be my friend, (and customer) Jim marking the head groove. #6 is simply the barrel standing on-end to show “shop-to-barrel” size comparison. This project was a “barrel of fun” from the mathematics to the super-sized cooper-smithing.

Tim,I can attest to the fact that will have to be the most eye-catching thing going on in Schapville! Really! Give me the address…maybe I have missed ‘Schapville’ proper! All kidding aside, Awesome Barrel….I want to visit the store just to get a look at the barrel! t

-- toni --- SW WI...working on shop setup....wish I could say diligently. "Time is a healer, a friend & a maker of dreams."